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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29898852">Round Earth’s Imagin’d Corners</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sieghart/pseuds/sieghart'>sieghart</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>And If You Want Me, I'm Your Country [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>TREASURE (Korea Band), YG Entertainment | YG Family, YG Treasure Box (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Study, Choi Hyunsuk Loves Park Jihoon It Is Known, Crying Once More, Developing Relationship, Drabble, Drabble Collection, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Gen, M/M, Slow Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:20:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,369</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29898852</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sieghart/pseuds/sieghart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Choi Hyunsuk is doubtful of many things, but among the things that he is certain of, is that Park Jihoon’s the ‘X’ that marks the spot.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi Hyunsuk/Park Jihoon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>And If You Want Me, I'm Your Country [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2195328</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Round Earth’s Imagin’d Corners</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>+ as promised! Hyunsuk's POV +<br/>(for maximum effect, please listen to ABOUT - for him (New York Atmosphere) while reading this)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Choi Hyunsuk is doubtful of many things, but among the things that he is certain of, is that Park Jihoon’s the ‘X’ that marks the spot.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Hyunsuk <em>hears</em> the name <em>Park Jihoon</em> before he <em>sees</em> the boy—the <em>boy</em> the company staff whisper in the hallways, the boy the trainees talk about at the back of the dance studio where the lights are turned off most days, the boy they chatter on in the cafeteria, and even that one time in the pantry where the boy himself walks in and hears the gossip around and responded only with lifting his eyes and lips for a shy smile.</p><p>            “Look how hard Park Jihoon works.”</p><p>            “Jihoon-ah is a prudent kid. His parents must be proud of the child they’re raising.”</p><p>            “You can feel how passionate Park Jihoon is. He’s going places, I’m sure of it.”</p><p>            “At a young age, Jihoon-ah knows exactly what he wants. Isn’t that admirable?”</p><p>So, when he finally meets <em>the </em>Park Jihoon, he seems familiar but in the wrong way, like a treasure trove that’s supposed to be hidden but everyone knows where the location is, and yet nobody has bothered to dig it up… Hyunsuk cartographs like his father taught him once in his study, as he resolves to chart the points that leads to Jihoon and map what he’s made of, built, and his becoming. He records on a blank canvas the boy’s scuffles, archives his confessions of hardship and insecurities, files away his teasing remarks and curious bouts, documents the growth in his singing and dancing, chronicles his affections towards the new members of their steadily increasing-in-number group, until that point in time where he has to leave them and Hyunsuk isn’t sure he’ll see him again and something inside him breaks—it’s happening again, parting ways with people he’s starting to care for, like the little islands on the map being erased by the tides.</p><p>But then Jihoon reappears as the tides subside, like a newly discovered territory, he’s back to survive a hellish broadcast with him along other hopefuls trying to secure a place in the limelight.</p><p>Everything’s changed since then, but everything remains the same too.</p><p>The canvas Hyunsuk has of Jihoon now turns into atlas, and somehow, there are still spaces to be registered. But what troubles him is if <em>his-Jihoon-of-a-map</em> should have borders like they usually are, or because he made it, he has a say on how and what it’s supposed to look like.</p><p>He knows there are lines he needs to draw and yet, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. There are boundaries, Hyunsuk’s sure of it, but every time he sets them, <em>the-map-that-is-Jihoon</em> folds, and crumples on himself (one winter night at a train station in Mapo-gu, Hyunsuk thought there’s a flash of hurt behind Jihoon’s smile when he said something to him and he didn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t respond accordingly—and the last thing he wants on this earth is to hurt Jihoon, knowingly and unknowingly).</p><p>Hyunsuk is ready for his voyage of exploration in an age where they say it’s too late to explore anymore. Even if he knows his journey will lead him to dangerous straits, it’s a risk he’s willing to take a thousand times over, all so he can finally break the cycle and not go in circles anymore (but the earth is round, round, round). It’s said that in the context of the Great Voyages, exploration went hand in hand with <em>claiming</em> and taking <em>possession</em>, and there’s an ‘X’ that needs to be further dug.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Hyunsuk’s facing Jihoon’s back and decides this is <em>it</em>. They just finished touring the world, finished having a company dinner to celebrate a hard-earned break from activities and promotions, finished taking shots with the older members of the group (promptly ending it before trouble finds them) and finished waiting for the snow to fall and settle on driveways. The two of them casually breaks off from the group on the way home and wander aimlessly in an empty street Hyunsuk recognizes he once loitered around as an elementary student, because somewhere along the road, there used to be a store with a grandmother selling Pokemon cards and didn’t know that they <em>are </em>and instead refers to them as ‘cartoon flashcards.’</p><p>He starts, “Remember, two winters ago at Hapjeong station, you said something to me—”</p><p>He hears Jihoon’s ready laugh cutting his train of thought. The guy’s already paces ahead of him as he blurts loud enough for him to catch, “I say many things to you!”</p><p>“Yeah, well, it’s just that I remembered the words and I know now,” the older guy pauses, pauses in mid-stride too, and swallows something thick before he continues, “what you mean by them.”</p><p>He sees Jihoon stretch his neck left to right, before turning around to face him as he works his sharp jaw. The younger guy lifted his eyes to the purple sky as if he’s recalling the particular scene imprinted in Hyunsuk’s head: the tiled granite flooring, the yellow demarcation line that stretches onward and the noise blaring from the train and the public speakers both, his hands enclosed in Jihoon’s with a hot pack that’s just warm enough for his skin. Well, the guy’s determined to keep his mouth shut now of all times so Hyunsuk pushes on.</p><p>“You said ‘I have all the time for you.’”</p><p>Jihoon looks down on him, finally tearing his eyes away from the purple and pink clouds. Hyunsuk spies the bottom of his lip curling inwards as the younger guy chews on it while he firmly plants his hands on his hips, gauging.</p><p>The aggressor decides to be the <em>little shit </em>that he is and flips his hands upwards. “And I, what did I do to you? What did I say to you then?”</p><p>Jihoon breathes harshly, “Nothing.”</p><p>“Nothing,” Hyunsuk echoes, feeling his shoulders slump a little and a chill running down his spine. The snow has long stopped falling but somehow the evening’s drawing even colder. “I can be slow-witted at the most crucial of times. It’s why we’re partnered up to lead the group.” He toes the snow and the dirt with his left boot then.</p><p>Jihoon snorts. “I know.”</p><p>“You could’ve been more clear.” It’s an accusation that tastes hollow in Hyunsuk’s mouth, especially as the guy before him flinches a tad bit. “And I can stand to be a little dense too.” He shakes his arms and rolls his shoulders backwards, it shouldn’t always be a fight with himself but this is a start, this is a beginning, and he’s still learning.</p><p>Just as Jihoon said two years past, he has time for him to just <em>be</em>. Hyunsuk walks in the trail of footsteps stamped on the snow and left behind <em>for him</em> by the guy standing under the light of the street lamp; careful, measured steps and most important of all, <em>definite</em> in his destination. He can see the big X turning an embarrassing shade of pink, and Hyunsuk just has to be brave to claim it.</p><p>“I’m coming to you, okay?” Hyunsuk declares as he balances himself on the trail. Jihoon’s legs are much longer than his and the gaps between the left and the right foot makes him unsteady whenever he lifts his boots. “And if you stay still, I’m gonna give you a prize.”</p><p>“What, like I’m going anywhere.” Jihoon sounds cocky now. “You’re the one who knows this street.”</p><p>Hyunsuk laughs. “Then why are you walking ahead of me?!” But he knows the answer to that too, because there’s a home inside Jihoon’s head where Hyunsuk lives, where he’s thought of, cared for, and anticipated, constantly—the former walks ahead of him simply because he knows his <em>hyung </em>will be having a hard time walking in an ankle-deep snow with thick leather boots on, Hyunsuk knows Jihoon’s considerate this way.</p><p>(Hyunsuk knows Jihoon loves him this way.)</p><p>The walk-up to him is such a short distance now but it somehow feels longer to reach him, and all the while Hyunsuk’s heart beats rapidly. And as if to encourage him, the younger guy protrudes his strong arms towards him, beckoning and beaming.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>1. I'm backkkkkk~<br/>2. Also, I made a new twitter account @owwwrenji (where I can post fics peacefully) if you're interested in following! I need Treasure/YG Fam moots I can yell with and/or exchange story ideas?<br/>3. Please let me know what you think of this TT TT<br/>4. Story is inspired by Yesenia Montilla's poem, "Maps" and this study “All flat maps, and I am one”: Cartographic References in the Poems of John Donne by Ladan Niayesh, and this too “I am a little world made cunningly”: The Poem, the Map, the Self blog by Dora Malech (lmao, I didn't mean to be this scholarly but it's always fun searching for references while writing fanfics, and never for studies TT TT)<br/>5. Title came from John Donne's Holy Sonnets: At the round earth's imagin'd corners, blow<br/>6. Series' title came from The Cardigans - You're The Storm</p></blockquote></div></div>
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